News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-03-17
HThe Great Irish stugg1e."
VIEWS OF HON. JOHN SHERMAN.
Washington, February, 10, 1887.
QnDEroT NJ Now ADE ESQ

washington, FEBRUARY, III, 1881.
Philadelphia, Pa,
My dear Sir Il have to acknowledge,
with thanks, the receipt from you of
COPY of the Joint work of Mr.. O'COnnOr
and yourself on 1.-The Great Irish Strug-
gle,'' which l will carry home with me
and read carefully at my leisure. AS
yet have only glanced over it Sufficient
Iy to learn that it contains a mass of
information deeply interesting to every
American.
The preface by DR.. Burns expresses in
a few sentences the view taken by intel
ligent Americans of the movement for
Home Rule in Ireland. There is a pro-
found and general sympathy among my
countrymen in favor of this movement,
and the universal hope is, that by peace
full and earnest efforts the British Par
lament will be induced to grant to the
people of Ireland the inestimable bene-
fit of Home Rule in local affairs.
This is not confined to Irishmen in
America, or to the descendants of Irish
men, but is fully shared by the descend
ants of EngliShmens and especially by
those whose ancestors for more than
two centuries have been Americans by
birth. Nor does this feeling arise from
any desire to weaken or cripple the
power of the British Empire. While
this power has been often exercised
without due regard to the rights of other
nations, yet we know that the general
results of this domination, to which the
Irish people have contributed their full
part. have been the most potent agency
in advancing the civilization and prog
ress of mankind.
AS Americans we share in the glory of
British achievements and power, and
believe that with Home Rule Ireland
will not only cease to be discontinued,
but will be able to contribute still
greater share to the boosted power of
the British Empire. Nor does our SYM
pathy arise from any affinities on ac-
count of religious creedS or tests. A
greater proportion of the American peO-
pie are Protestants, compared with
Catholics than are the Protestants of
Great Britain, compared with Catholics :;
but we have long since learned that
freedom of religious worship is the sa-
cred right of every citizen-too sacred
to be controlled by the laws of the State
or nation.
Our sympathy is founded upon the eX-
perience of a hundred years, that great
population cannot be held in peaceful
and happy relation by central authority
alone, but that each community must
have local autonomy, with power to pass
local laws suited to its wants, its habits.
and even its prejudiceS, leaving to cen
| trail, or national authority the great
powers essential to empire.
We carry our divisions of local au-
| tonomy to school districts, to townships
| to cities and counties, each with clearly
defined but limited authority, but confer
upon States and the nation broader
| power and jurisdiction. 1t is only by
such division of power that freedom
in it's true sense, can be enjoyed by any
populous and extended country. Great
Britain has recognized this great princi-
pie of human government in every Stel
of its wonderful progress towards free
institutions, from the days of Magma
Charta, the birth of its national free,
dom, to its present liberal government
founded upon general suffrage. She has
extended the principle of Home Rule tC
the Dominion Of Canada and Australia
and ages ago she gave local autonomy
with liberal franchises to her cities anC
counties, and even to guilds of trades
men and mechanics.
1t is this autonomy, or local rule will
| powers suitable to the conditions anC
wants of Ireland, that the people OF
that island want, and such powers are
not only consistent with, but will adj
vance the glory and power of the EN-
| pire. 1t was earnestly hoped by al
classes in America that when a great
and hOnored statesman like Gladstone
with the body of the Liberal party, pro
posed to grant Home Rule to Ireland
that it would be yielded by the popular
vote in England; and we yet hope that
by peaceful appeals and agitation, and
especially by escheWing violence, and
| above all that hellish form of violence
l. to %
may be won to try this effective mode to
happily close 1.-The Great Irish Strug-
gle " of the century.
We in America can appreciate the fear
of destroying the Union" that is made
the party cry against Home Rule. We
spent billions of treasure and hundreds
of thousands of lives to save the Union,
and all, both North and South, now
feel that the preservation of the Union
was worth the cost. But when we
saved the Union, the first step was to
preserve and maintain IN full force the
autonomy of the States, and all the
powers and benefits of local government.
In this we received the hearty approval
of the English people.
In wishing for them the same happy
solution of their struggles we only speak
the friendly wish of greater number
of the descendants of EngliShmen, Irish
men and Scotchmen than are to be
found in all the islands of Great Britain.
Good government depends upon the
order and blending of Home Rule and
national authority, which, like the two
great forces of nature. though seeming
ly opposed, are equally important to the
harmony of government.
Very truly yours,
JOHN SHERMAN.
I'm
Sherman, (entitled, :" THE GREAT IRISH STRUG-
GLE " is just being published by Hubbard Broth
ers of Philadelphia EDS.